I am not aspirant of any office : Ch Nisar Ali Khan

Lahore : PML-N stalwart Ch Nisar Ali Khan has said that “Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi tried to convince me till the last minute over my decision to resign, but I categorically refused to accept portfolio of the ministry owing to some reasons and ultimately disassociated myself from the ministry. I clarified that I’m not aspirant of any office,” he explained.

addressing a press conference , Ch Nisar also defended decisions he took in the past as country’s interior minister pertaining to national security, saying that he successfully shattered the network of terrorism.

He said the critics had blamed the interior ministry for every failure and negligence.

“More than 2000 diplomatic passports and more than 0.2 million licences for prohibited bore arms were cancelled during my tenure,” he said.

“No one can get the visa on airport now,” he said, claiming that “no terror network currently exists in Pakistan.”

“For the first time, the NGOs were regulated and registered as per the law. I cancelled 98 million mobile SIMs, cancelled 32,000 passports issued to foreigners including 2000 diplomatic passports,” he said, while highlighting the performance of his ministry over the past four years.

About his differences with the party, Nisar said he parted his ways with PML-N due to difference of opinion. “There was the difference and it still exists,” Nisar said, adding that he had not announced to quit the party or politics. “My statement was misinterpreted,” he said.

When asked to reveal the reasons behind his conflict with the party leadership, he said “the party is in a difficult situation, so it’s not an appropriate time to speak up on these issues. It may hurt the party.”

Replying to a question about Dawn Leaks inquiry, he said only one member of the six-man committee was from the interior ministry, adding that the remaining members were from federal and provincial departments.

He said he was not involved in the leak of any news.

Billions of rupees are being spent on fencing of Pak-Afghan border to check the flow of terrorists into the country, he said.

He said there is no civil-military conflict and the military has been extending support to the Interior Ministry.